Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

A delicacy indigenous to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, halibut cheeks are a treat.  The cheeks are cut from the area behind the halibut’s eyes and jaw and have a flavor and texture compared to sea scallops or lobster.  They vary in size from tiny morsels taken from small halibuts to pieces larger than your entire hand from fish such as the one below which weighed in at 160 pounds.

The guys went fishing while we were in Homer, Alaska.  They were allowed to catch two fish each and the fish they caught were this size; more in the 30 pound range.

Our fish was flash frozen and will be shipped home to us when we return to Lake Lure.  The bowl of fish cheek soup pictured above was what we had for dinner at a restaurant in Seward, Alaska.  It was flavored with garlic and lemon juice.  I am anxious to receive my halibut fillets and my four small cheeks.  It won’t be enough to make a soup or chowder, but we will savor them and use the rest of the halibut in many ways.

David and I celebrated our wedding anniversary while in Alaska.  I have to say that life has hardly ever been boring for us. Forgive my disheveled appearance.  Riding motorcycles is not good for the complexion or the hairdo.

Here are a few more pictures from our trip.

This is Cafe Cups in Homer, Alaska.  It is a funky little place with great food and wine.

One of the most awesome sights we saw was the Mendenhall Glacier in Junuea, Alaska.  It is a tongue of ice stretching over 12 miles from the Juneau Icefield to Mendenhall Lake.  It is around one-half mile wide and about 100 feet tall.

Tulin and me at the Mendenhall Glacier viewing area.

Notice the ice field behind us.  The temperature was about 60 degrees.

Of course I couldn’t resist buying a cookbook while I was here.  This recipe for halibut cheeks comes from Cooking Alaska’s Wild Halibut by Kathy Doogan.  You can substitute scallops or lobster.

HALIBUT CHEEKS WITH BACON AND SHALLOT RELISH

2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into slivers about 1/4 inch wide
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium shallot, finely diced
1 tablespoon  rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound to 1 pound halibut cheeks
Salt and pepper

Heat a small non stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the bacon slivers and cook, stirring often, until bacon is browned and crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon pieces to paper towels to drain; if necessary, pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.  Reduce heat to medium and add butter to bacon fat in skillet.  When butter has melted, add shallots and cook, stirring often, until they turn light brown and begin to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add bacon pieces back to pan; stir and continue cooking another 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in vinegar, sugar and parsley them remove relish from heat and keep warm.

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Season halibut cheeks with salt and pepper then add to pan.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes then turn and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until cheeks are almost firm to the touch.  Do not overcook.  Place halibut cheeks on plates, spoon relish over fish and serve immediately.  Serves 2.

Printable recipe

Located on Cane Creek Road in Lake Lure is a farm run by the Crocker family.  Kathleen and Larry Crocker have been raising cows and pigs for many years.  Origninally they used the meat for their own consumption, but there was so much interest in what they were doing they began raising their animals for commercial consumption.  The meat from Vandele Farms is USDA approved, but most importantly, it is chemical, additive and antibiotic free.  Their beef is pastured and given a supplement of vegetarian, chemical free feed.  Take a look at their website and the gallery of pictures showing pigs frolicking in the fields.  There is something to be said for meat from animals who have been treated humanely.  I, for one, feel good about buying farm raised meat and supporting my local economy.

From that beautifully marbled beef chuck I made my Daube de Boeuf Provencale.  The long slow cooking rendered the beef tenderly delicious.   The origin of the word daube comes from the French name of the cooking vessel, a daubiere, in which the beef stew is cooked.  The vessel is shaped in such a way that it traps the moisture that is released in the cooking process and keeps the stew moist.  You can achieve the same results in any heavy covered casserole by placing a round of parchment paper over the beef mixture.

I have looked at many daube recipes.  The Provencal origin of the recipe dictates that it should include olives, but many of the recipes I saw do not include olives.  If you are an olive lover, do include them.  But be aware that they do impart their distinctive flavor to the dish.

I am flying to Anchorage, Alaska today to join David on his motorcycle trip.  I will post when I can.  The guys are going halibut fishing while in Homer, Alaska so I am hoping to get pictures of the catch and the preparation of the fish.  We will journey from Alaska to Vancouver, where I will meet up with  a fellow blogger.  I am excited to meet her.  Then it is on to Bend, Oregon where we will check out some of the wineries and enjoy the scenery before we girls fly home.  An adventure awaits!

DAUBE DE BOEUF PROVENCALE

3 lbs beef chuck, cut into cubes
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons brandy
5 tablespoons  olive oil, divided
2 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, grated
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (32 ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juices
12 green olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup white mushrooms
1/4 cup chanterelle mushrooms
1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms
3 fresh parsley sprigs, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place beef, wine, brandy and 3 tablespoons oil in an airtight container and refregerate at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat; remove bacon and set aside, reserving drippings in pan.

Remove beef from marinade, reserving marinade, and blot dry.  Brown at medium heat in bacon drippings with 2 extra tablespoons of olive oil if needed in 3 to 4 batches.  Set beef aside on plate as browned.  Sweat onions, garlic and carrots in pan for 5 to 6 minutes.  Add browned beef, reserved beef marinade, bay leaf, thyme, tomatoes and olives.  Bring to a boil.  Cover with a round of parchment paper and the lid and place in a 350 degree oven.  Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking, sear mushrooms in a separate frying pan over medium-high heat in 2 tablespoons oil.  When beef is complete, remove from oven and stir in mushrooms and parsley and season with salt and pepper.  Thicken with a slurry of flour and water if needed.

Printable recipe

It is never to soon to plan a trip.  As you probably know we will be leaving soon on a motorcycle tour of Alaska.  This is David’s dream trip.  Paris is mine.  So I have been researching places to stay in Paris for June of 2012.  I found the perfect apartment in the 7th Arrondissement five minutes away from the Eiffel Tower and steps from Rue Cler, the famous market street.  It is on a quiet residential street and has a king size bed in the separate bedroom, both a tub and shower, a lovely living room furnished in Brittany antiques, and a full compliment of books (in English), CDs, DVDs, etc.  But this is what I really liked.  The kitchen is complete with a new stove with rotisserie oven.  I have found that most apartments for rent in Paris have only a microwave and a 2 burner hob.  It is also less expensive than staying in a hotel.  I am booking it today.  In celebration of my great find, last night I made Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken with Croutons from her Barefoot in Paris cookbook.

All over Paris you can find rotisserie chickens.  The drippings from the roasting birds baste sourdough croutons beneath them.  Following Ina’s directions,  I sauteed sourdough bread cubes and put them on my serving platter.

I roasted my chicken.

I felt like I needed more pan juices to pour over the chicken and croutons so I added a can of chicken broth to the pan drippings.

And dinner was served.

You can find the recipe for Lemon Chicken with Croutons here.

I know I was on a roll with my Provencal dinner, but until I actually prepare the whole meal for the recipients of my donation of a meal for six, I will defer from posting the recipes.  The most heartwarming response from all of my blogging buddies on the clafoutis has me reeling.  You are all wonderful people.  Susan of Schnitzel and the Trout alerted me to a recipe for clafoutis that she prepared from Barbara’s blog Moveable Feast.  Barbara then commented to let me know about the recipe.  The beauty of it is that it can be prepared ahead of time.  Racheld of Lawn Tea gave me great tips on assembling the clafoutis in the winner’s home when I deliver the dinner.  I will be preparing Barbara and Susan’s recipe soon to see how I do.  All of you are very supportive.  Thank you.

Now on to Big Bang Chicken.  Doesn’t that name grab you?  I do not know the origin of the name.  Maybe it came about because you get a “big bang” for your buck with this.  It is a great company dish for very little money.  The recipe was in The Fresh Market & Friends Cookbook;  A 25th anniversay publication.  The Fresh Market now has more than 70 stores in 15 States.

To give you some background, a couple of weeks ago I went to The Fresh Market in Hendersonville.  The Fresh Market and I have a long history.  The very first Fresh Market was started in Greensboro, NC where David and I lived for many years.  The year was 1982 and this innovative food store had just opened.  Imagine my delight in walking into a grocery store illuminated by soft lights with classical music playing in the background and artfully arranged vegetables and flowers filling my eyes.  There were bins of specialty grains and a whole section for gourmet jelly beans.  The smell of coffee was in the air and samples were available for sipping.  The deli displayed wondrous plump rotisserie chickens and the bakery looked like something out of a Paris Patisserie.  I was in love.  A weekly visit to The Fresh Market became a routine.

When we moved to the North Carolina Mountains I was happy to see that The Fresh Market had preceded us to the area  I visit the Hendersonville location at least once a month.  I saw their cookbook on my last visit and knew that I had to have it.  Many of the recipes in it are from people from Greensboro and each of the recipes underwent a thorough vetting to determine it’s goodness before being  included.

This chicken casserole is very easy to assemble and has a special kick of flavor from the marinated artichoke hearts and the sherry and fresh herbs.  Served with rice, crusty bread and a salad, you can’t go wrong.

BIG BANG CHICKEN

3 tablespoons olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
all-purpose flour
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
2 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, with juices
2 (15 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, with juices
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sherry
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Dridege chicken in flour then place in pan and brown for 10 minutes.  Add Garlic and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Add artichoke hearts, stewed tomatoes and mushrooms; remove from heat and place in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Cover and bake 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, add sherry, fresh herbs and spices then bake an additional 30 minutes uncovered.

Printable recipe

Add the cooked stew to the casserole to which you have added a handful of white cheedar cheese and then sprinkle the top with another handful of white cheddar.  Place the second piece of pastry on the top and rustically seal and bunch the pastry together.  Give the pastry an egg wash and put it back in the oven to brown and puff.